


Small Worlds

by orphan_account



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-08
Updated: 2012-07-29
Packaged: 2017-11-09 11:16:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/454843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave and Kurt cross paths by accident a year after they've left McKinley. They rekindle their friendship and soon discover they both desire more. Rating for later chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Old Ties

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is largely inspired by season 4 rumors that Kurt will be starting out in fashion and gain a new mentor in the business. It is my attempt to imagine how Kurt and Dave might meet up again and how their paths could become intertwined in post-high school Glee.

Kurt had been exchanging gossip in a circle with a few other lowly assistants during his break, all the while idly sipping the free champagne, when he spotted the out-of-place yet familiar boy from across the room. David was dressed in a well-cut plain Navy blue suit with a slightly garish mustard yellow tie. Aside from the unfortunate accessory, the boy looked well. Surprisingly well, in fact, and while Kurt was happy to see him happy, he could not help wondering what on earth he might be doing at an event like this.

His first thought was that perhaps he was dating someone who had an invite, but somehow Kurt doubted that a nineteen year-old boy who just moved to New York from Ohio last year would be dating someone with a plus-one invite to New York's Fashion Week. How Dave would have even met someone that high up in fashion circles? It's not like they were his crowd…even if many of them were perhaps his type.

So Kurt remained distant, and watched the other boy's interactions with the people in his company. There were three others standing with him; directly to his left, an upbeat loquacious middle aged man whose suit told Kurt plain as day he was not directly connected with Fashion Week in any way, shape or form. Next to him was a very attractive, very tall swarthy man in his mid twenties, who looked vaguely familiar to Kurt but whom he could not place. He was dressed far better than the middle aged man, with whom he appeared to be quite well acquainted, but Kurt still doubted he was directly connected to the event either. And holding hands with the handsome man was someone who unequivocally belonged – a young woman who was clearly a professional runway model. Her waif figure, hairdo and they way in which she held herself marked her as undoubtedly a walker in one of the shows.

But while Kurt at least managed to souse out the reason the woman and her date were there, he still could not imagine what business the middle-aged man and Dave had here with them. Especially since both men seemed to be interacting primarily with the young boyfriend, not the model. After a few more moments of trying to piece it all together and failing, Kurt decided to make his way over and demand an explanation. (He would have said hello to David no matter what, but his curiosity made him even more anxious to make himself known).

With some unexpected butterflies in his stomach, Kurt took leave of his company and approached his old acquaintance, tapping him congenially on the shoulder to garner his attention. Dave looked over, clearly surprised to be solicited by anyone, and clearly even more surprised when he realized who it was.

"Kurt!" he blurted out, the shock evident in his voice.

Kurt watched as Dave's expression came alight with a plain mixture of confusion, surprise and delight.

"What are you doing here?" Dave asked, not at all accusatorily, but with blatant interest.

Kurt realized their conversation was somewhat rudely interrupting the socializing of the other people present, but he knew there would be time enough for introductions in a moment, so he answered Dave's question.

"I'm here with my employer, Jane Hallowell. She's a fashion designer. What on earth are you doing here?"

Before Dave could answer, the middle aged man in the group interjected smoothly.

"David, would you like to introduce us?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Dave responded flustered, as if he had momentarily forgotten about the others. "Kurt this is Robert Stiegler, Victor Lopez, and Delilah Pane."

Kurt shook hands with each of them as Dave said their names and they each smiled politely back at him.

"Kurt and I went to high school together, back in Ohio," Dave explained to the group. He and Kurt exchanged a meaningful look then, and a subsequent subdued smile. Neither of them would ever forget what happened between them, but the pain of it had long since passed, leaving only a formative kind of bond around what they had endured and overcome together.

"Well, it looks like you two have some catching up to do!" Mr. Robert Stiegler declared. "Why don't you go off and I'll find you in a little while?" he said to David genially.

The man had an affable air about him that made him charming and exceedingly likable, but in a totally inconspicuous way. Kurt's curiosity as to his relationship with David grew considerably.

"Okay, thanks. Talk to you all later," David said politely to the group and he followed Kurt across the room to a secluded spot.

"So who is that?" Kurt asked, desperate for the forthcoming elucidation of Dave's company and presence here.

"Mr. Steigler is my mentor. He's a sports agent. I sometimes go with him to meet clients, if they are in or around New York."

The minute David said "sports agent" the wheels in Kurt's brain began turning. He had not forgotten what Dave had said in the hospital last year, about wanting to become a sports agent himself and by all accounts, it seemed the boy was following through. Good for him.

The disclosure of Mr. Steigler's profession also caused Kurt to realize why the tall handsome man in the group looked familiar to him. He was a baseball player. Kurt could remember seeing the occasional close up of the man's face on his father's big screen TV, sweating in high-def as he prepared to pitch a baseball across a plate at 105 mph.

"And the handsome gentleman is his client, I take it," Kurt filled in, prompting Dave to say more.

"Yeah," Dave said with a chuckle, clearly amused by Kurt's affected pronouncement of 'handsome gentleman.'

"Lopez plays for the LA Dodgers. Got a pretty impressive record, actually. Almost pitched a no-hitter against the Giants last year and averaged-"

Dave stopped as he looked at Kurt's overly amused face.

"What?" Dave asked a bit confrontationally. Kurt smirk got to him a bit, even though the boy was obviously not in mean spirits.

"Nothing, just…you."

"What about me?" Dave replied, nervously, still a bit on edge.

"Nothing. You just seem so…happy," Kurt responded letting his honest surprise show.

If his expression was anything to go by, Dave was taken aback by this response.

"Oh. Well yeah, I guess," he then said shrugging, as his face turned pink and sheepish.

It was so endearingly sweet Kurt had to laugh. He'd already had just enough champagne that day to make him a bit loopy, and, as it happened, a bit more verbose than usual.

"You're so cute," he said out loud, then, before he could stop himself.

A moment that had previously been light-hearted suddenly turned weighty and awkward. At Kurt's words, Dave's slight blush turned a full on beet-red and the boy shuffled his feet nervously, avoiding Kurt's eyes. He then changed the subject quickly.

"So, last I heard you were still in Ohio. How did you end up out here?"

"It's a long, complicated story," Kurt replied as he delicately waved away David's question with his right hand. "Suffice it to say I was 'discovered' by Jane and she offered me a position in her company. The pay is terrible but I'm learning a lot and I get to come to events like this, so all in all, it's a good deal. I love it."

"Yeah, I bet," Dave said, grinning at Kurt's apparent glee. There was no doubt the boy fit right in amongst the throng of high-end fashionistas and it occurred to Dave that it must be nice for someone like Kurt to finally live in a world where he wasn't always the odd man out.

"So, tell me, why is your Mr. Steigler meeting his client here, of all places?"

"Well Victor's only in town for a few days. He came to see his girlfriend walk in the show, and Robert has been trying to get him a meeting with Calvin Klein's people."

"An endorsement deal?" Kurt asked, his professional side kicking in.

"Yup," Dave replied.

"Underwear?" Kurt further probed.

"Well, it's what will get him the most money, and exposure," Dave replied matter-of-factly.

Realizing the pun a second after he said it, Dave met Kurt's eyes and they both cracked up.

"Yeah, I'll say," Kurt concurred after moment, still giggling slightly. "Well he's certainly hot enough."

"Tell me about it," Dave continued, still light-hearted but in a definite undertone.

Since the subject of Dave's attractions had been broached, Kurt took that moment to ask, "So are you seeing anyone?"

Dave then let out a snort that gave the answer plain as day.

"No," he said emphatically, looking down and shuffling his feet again.

"You?" he then asked after a minute. "Still with that guy from back home? Or is there someone else?"

"I…um, well it's…complicated," Kurt responded his discomfort blatantly evident.

Dave knew the correct thing to do would be to leave it alone and change the subject. But with the discovery that the boy was living in the same city as him, and that his relationship status was murky at best, Dave could not help but press the advantage the moment seem to be offering.

"Complicated like there's someone else, or complicated like long distance is hard?"

"Complicated like we had a huge fight over Christmas and we've barely spoken at all since then," Kurt replied.

"Oh, I see. Well, I would try to give you advice at this point but I'm afraid I'm fairly useless when it comes to relationships."

"That's okay. I'm beginning to think I am as well."

At that moment, a waiter arrived and offered a tray of freshly poured champagne flutes. Both Dave and Kurt took one without hesitation.

"To being useless!" Kurt declared dramatically, as he tilted his glass toward Dave.

Dave smiled and instantly clinked their glasses together.

"To being useless," he repeated, downing a healthy sip immediately after.

The equilibrium of the moment restored, Kurt continued with their light-hearted catching up.

"So you seem awfully young to already be meeting clients with a mentor. How did you swing that?"

"Well, you're right. Most of the guys in my program don't start their mentorship till their second or third year. But you could say I got lucky. Mr. Steigler was looking for a new mentee in the fall, but the first event he was attending with a client was the Fall Fashion Week. Pro athletes have a thing for models, and a lot of them come into town to see their girlfriends walking in the shows, or just to mingle. But most of the guys in my program were uncomfortable with the idea of coming to an event like this, so I was the only one who ended up volunteering."

"That's weird. I'd have thought they would have loved to hang out near a bunch of models, too" Kurt replied, unthinking.

"Yeah, but a lot of them don't want to hang out around a bunch of faeries," Dave responded, with a meaningful look.

"Oh, I see," Kurt replied, cottoning on. "Well, their loss, your gain."

"Yup. Worked out really well, actually."

"Oh, now I really see," Kurt said teasing after a moment, as if he had stumbled upon Dave's real reason for coming. "You volunteered because you thought it would be a good place to pick up guys."

Dave could not help but laugh at this.

"Yep, that's totally it. You found me out."

They both shared a smile over the idea of Dave using his mentorship as a means to find dates. Although truth be told, the idea had not entirely eluded Dave when he originally volunteered to go during the fall. He knew what he liked, and he knew there would be no shortage of it at such an event. And although he had not been wrong, catching anyone's attention had been another matter entirely.

Dave was not exactly practiced or fluent in the codes and habits of gay male pick-ups. He also was fairly certain that most of the men at events like this took one casual glance at him and immediately passed him off as straight. Which wasn't exactly unwarranted. He knew they were only being efficiently pragmatic. But it was still frustrating sometimes not be given even the chance to indicate interest. Perhaps if he were better dressed he might have more of a shot, but he did not know the first thing about fashion, or style, or what might be more flattering on him.

Almost as if he could hear Dave's thoughts, Kurt then chimed in with a question.

"Although, can I give you some advice?" he asked as he grimaced in mock discomfort.

"What?" Dave replied in kind, raising an eyebrow at the other boy's affected expression.

"Next time, don't wear that tie. It doesn't really match, and mustard is not your color anyways."

"What would you suggest, then, oh wise and all knowing fashion guru?" Dave inquired with exaggerated deference

"A pale pink," Kurt said after a moment, his tone softening to suggest he was being serious once again. "Pink goes well with blue," the boy said with an air of professionalism, as he removed a piece of lint from the front of Dave's suit jacket and smoothed it out. "And it would complement your coloring."

Silence hung in the air and this time it wasn't awkward but weighty with promise; the moment was affectionate and it held the possibility of something more, something much more. It made Dave's heart skip a beat. And it heralded the return of the butterflies in Kurt's stomach.

After a long beat, Dave broke the silence and simply said with quiet sincerity, "Okay. Next time pink, I promise."

His tone said he meant it and Kurt felt something in that moment he had not felt in a very long time – a frank and unmistakable sexual thrill. The words "I promise" whispered in Dave's soft voice shivered down his spine and tingled on his finger tips. And for a brief second Kurt had the mad urge to actually kiss the other boy.

Repressing that feeling he simply smiled and said, "I look forward to it."

That would have been The Moment, the moment for someone to ask someone if they would like to go get a drink or a cup of coffee or go see a movie some time. But unfortunately, before such a turn of events was allowed, Mr. Stiegler came and apologized for having to ferret Dave away. The boys regretfully said goodbye to each other, exchanging phone numbers before Dave was inauspiciously hurried off.

Both were sad they did not have more time to catch up with one another. But both were equally hopeful today was just the beginning of something wonderful on the horizon. They each knew, without a doubt, the exchange of phone numbers had not been a perfunctory nicety and that more was surely to come.

And indeed, not five minutes after they parted, both were aching to make use of the brand new contact number saved in their pockets. But both waited, each too scared of seeming desperate or clingy. So instead they kept their distance and counted the hours before it would appropriate to make contact again.

It felt like a really long wait all around.


	2. New Texts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is relative short - apologies - but it was necessary to bridge to my next chapter, which will be a lot longer. Should be updating again soon, within the week. Until then!

It was Kurt who texted first, and Dave was immensely grateful for that. He would have done it himself eventually, if Kurt had made no move, but given their history with one another, it felt more appropriate to let the other boy make the initial contact. Mercifully, he had, only a day after their truncated reunion.

They had had their brief encounter Monday afternoon during one of the Fashion Week events at which they both happened to be working, though in very different capacities. Dave had Tuesday off but Kurt predictably was still hustling about with his employer Jane. However, he managed to take time out of his schedule just after lunch to type Dave a short message.

_Hey. Was good to see u yesterday. Hope we can get together again sometime. Lots of catching up still to do! :)_

Dave was uncharacteristically away from his phone when it first received Kurt's message. Like a 13 year-old girl, he had been carrying it around with him almost non-stop since he had given Kurt his number yesterday. But he decided that taking it into the bathroom with him while he showered was a bit much, and so he was not immediately aware when Kurt first made contact.

Returning to his dorm room from the showers at the end of his hall, Dave roughly dried off his wet hair with a towel as he picked up his phone to see if anyone – meaning Kurt – had made use of his number while he was bathing. The smile that spread across his face when he saw the New Text graphic containing Kurt's name was made of pure joy.

Dave instantly sat down at his desk and read the short, friendly text. It was everything he could have hoped for under the circumstances: a confirmation that the meeting yesterday was nice and an offer to get together again. Dave quickly pressed 'Reply' and began agonizing over his message. Finally he managed to compose one that seemed right in tone and content.

_Was good seeing u too. Would also like to hang out again. U are right, lots to catch up on. Think it would be nice._

Dave sent the text and forced himself to put the phone down while he dried off and got dressed. He had strongly debated asking Kurt when he might be free to meet up again but decided against it. He'd let Kurt be the one to ask for a concrete plan.

His correspondent was clearly not by his phone or was busy when Dave sent the text because it took the boy about a half an hour to respond. Dave had just about forgotten about it, becoming absorbed in a series of recommended YouTube cat videos when he jumped slightly at the whimsical series of beeps that composed his text-alert noise. Laughing at himself, Dave picked up the phone and anxiously read Kurt's second text of the day.

_Sounds fun to me too, but honestly don't know when I might be free next. Totally booked during fashion week & for most of week after. Busiest time of year for us! :( Sorry… But def. do want to see u at some point._

Dave's heart sunk a little when he realized he would likely not be seeing Kurt again for the next two weeks or so, though he did feel confident Kurt was telling the truth about being busy. It made perfect sense that Kurt would be working overtime this week and next. Dave imagined Fashion Week must be for designers what NFL draft week is for sports agents. In which case, Dave was grateful Kurt was even bothering to text him at all.

_No worries. Just lemme know when u are free. I don't wanna bother u._

This time, a return text came back almost instantly.

_Trust me, u are not a bother. ;)_

Even though the text had all of 25 characters in it, everything about it warmed Dave's heart, especially the winking smiley face. If Dave didn't know better he'd have thought Kurt was flirting with him. The conversation suddenly made Dave feel giddy and anxious in a good way. And totally impatient for this two weeks to be over.

Realizing he needed to compose a reply, Dave considered for a long while. Eventually he managed a sufficient response.

_Good to know. ;) But seriously, if u are really busy, don't feel bad ignoring me. Is okay._

Five minute wait until: _I'm def. busy, but I don't wanna ignore u. You make a good distraction. :)_

Dave understood that he was being complemented and he smiled yet again, feeling his face redden. Luckily that time, no one was around to see it. Before he was able to compose a response, however, he received another text from Kurt.

_Gonna be busy for next few hours but will text later._

_Cool. Later then! Work hard. :)_

Dave wasn't usually in the habit of including smiley faces in his texts, but Kurt's consistent habit of doing it was apparently infectious.

_I always do._

Dave was actually kind of glad that Kurt signed off with him, because he did in fact have some school work to get done before tomorrow. But for the next few minutes he simply sat in his desk chair and reread their conversation over and over again. It did not lose anything for the repetition.


	3. Pride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have apologize for another quasi "filler" chapter. This was originally going to be the beginning of a much longer chapter but I decided to divide it up instead. Sorry, should have planned better. But, actual major plot development in the next one, I promise.

The boys continued to exchange texts over the next week and a half. It was often only a couple of back-and-forths at a time, mostly because of Kurt's schedule, but they kept up a continuous rhythm. It was primarily small talk, friendly banter and casual complaints about their jobs or school. If something really funny or ridiculous happened, they would always feel the need to text the other and tell them about it. Dave got a particular kick out of Kurt's story about an older photographer trying to chat-up one of the models while he had a piece of toilet paper sticking out the back of his pants.

And no matter what, Kurt always texted Dave to say good night. It had gotten to the point where Dave literally could not sleep until he got his good-night text from Kurt and sent one in return.

Dave wondered if Kurt did this type of thing with lots of other people. The boy struck him as being something of a social butterfly, at least in his own circles, and Dave could imagine Kurt keeping up a constant chat with many of them at any given time. But then again, maybe he really was special. Who knew? It was certainly not something Dave was going to ask about; he was aware it would make him look either jealous or needy for special attention, neither of which would be attractive.

So Dave simply kept his responses to Kurt casual and unassuming. He did not want to inject more intimacy into their conversation than was intended or desired.

Then, on Thursday afternoon, about a week and half after they first reconnected, Dave finally got the text from Kurt he had been waiting for.

 _So after tomorrow I will finally have some time off. Any chance u are free to hang out soon?_

Dave's stomach did a somersault. He had gotten used to communicating with Kurt via text (though truth be told, he still got a little surge of excitement every time he heard his text alert). But the offer of an actual date to hang out, that was really exciting.

Not wanting to seem too desperate, but also not wanting to put it off, Dave decided to tell Kurt he had the weekend available.

 _Well, I'm free this weekend. But I understand if u need to crash for few days. No rush._

Dave hoped his "no rush," came off as casual as he wanted it to sound. He hated the idea that his eagerness might be seeping through in spite of himself.

At first Kurt was glad Dave suggested the weekend. Over the last ten days, whenever he had a free moment, all Kurt had thought about was being able to see the boy again, really catch up with him, talk to him in person. But he did not want to appear too anxious, especially since he still did not know what exactly it was he even wanted from the other boy…or what the other boy wanted from him.

But he did know one thing –he definitely wanted to find out.

Dave's offer was casual, and likely deliberately so. Or maybe Kurt just flattered himself, maybe Dave really was in "no rush." Kurt wondered if he should pretend to be as cool as Dave was playing it, or if he should just be honest. Everything in him was aching to be honest, but at the last minute, his pride got in the way.

 _Yeah, probably should crash this weekend. How does next Sat. sound?_

The minute Kurt sent the text he regretted it. He should have just agreed to this weekend and pride be damned. But it was too late now. If he took it back he'd look like a desperate sap, and that thought made him squirm.

Dave was undeniably disappointed by Kurt's text, but not at all surprised. From the distant sounds of things, the boy had been working basically non-stop for the last few weeks, and he deserved some time alone to just veg. Dave doubted it said anything about Kurt's desire to spend time with him. All it said was that Kurt was human and needed rest. It was still a bit disappointing though.

Hitting the **Reply** button, Dave typed out his subsequent, seemingly affable agreement.

 _Next Sat. sounds great. Got anything in mind?_

As Kurt read his return text, he felt his heart sink. He was going to have to wait another whole week and some to see Dave again, and for no other reason than his stupid pride, his idiotic need to seem cool and uneager. God he regretted that! But it really was too late to backtrack now. So instead of fessing up to what he really wanted, Kurt simply proceeded with making a plan.

 _How does coffee sound?_

It was as good a suggestion as any, Dave conceded…well, short of an offer to make out on Kurt's couch, anyway.

 _Sounds great. I'll come to u. I like Manhattan more than Brooklyn._

Kurt was grateful for this at least. He did not have a car, and he was not a fan of New York public transport. Most of the time he was able to walk to the places he needed to go and on the rare occasion he had to travel a significant distance for work, he was typically given cab fare. He conceded this made him a bit spoiled, but he felt no need to subject himself to the potential horrors of the metro transit system if he did not absolutely have to.

_Cool. Sounds like a plan. :-)_

At first Dave was just going to let it be, but on impulse he sent back a short, 3 character reply.

;-)

It spoke volumes to Kurt, who began to feel as if, in spite of all their talk of being 'friends' and just 'catching-up,' this really was a date, and the significance of it was simply being conveniently masked by those other, less weighty words.

The thought that Dave was under the impression this get-together was a date should have made Kurt uncomfortable. After all, as they both knew quite well, he technically still had a boyfriend…if only according to Facebook. But in reality, all that thought made him feel was a bubbly exhilaration.

Although he hated to admit it, as much as Kurt had told himself this was just about being friends, and hanging out and catching up, he was aware that the possibility of something more romantic and erotic blossoming between the two of them had hung heavy over the light-hearted text banter, and the nonchalant plan-making he and Dave had engaged in over the past two weeks or so.

And while Fashion Week and its direct aftermath had rather conveniently left him way too busy to worry himself over the nebulous vectors of his love life, now that that distraction was alleviated, Kurt knew he could not put off _The Conversation_ any longer.

It was finally time to grow-up and give his 'boyfriend' a call.


	4. Gifts

"Hey Kurt, Jane wants to see you in her office."

Kurt looked up from the vest he was pinning and nodded at his coworker.

"Thanks Amanda, I'll be there in a minute."

Not wanting to disrupt the flow of his concentration, Kurt continued to scrunch and smooth fabric until he felt satisfied. He then set down his pin cushion to speak with his boss. Walking towards her office, Kurt felt unconcerned. Their workplace was professional and diligent, but also casual and fairly egalitarian. Egos did not run amok, which made it a pleasant place to be employed, in spite of the long grueling hours. It also meant that junior employees did not live on a layer of thin ice, as they so often did in other, similar circumstances. Kurt worked hard and he did his job well. He thus knew he had nothing to fear by making his boss wait a few minutes for him. The woman did not exactly have the most keen sense of time at any rate.

Opening the large, translucent glass door to Jane's office, Kurt poked his head in and waited for her to wave him inside before he entered the room fully.

"Kurt, come on in, I'm just finishing up these sketches for the investor's meeting tomorrow," Jane said, as she gestured for him to have a seat across from her desk.

Kurt took the seat and waited while his mentor added a few finishing touches to one of her new designs. As with most people in the creative side of the industry, she was definitely a bit eccentric and often insisted on finishing her work whenever and where ever inspiration struck her. Kurt was used to waiting through Jane's bouts of creativity and he knew she would not keep him waiting too long, if only because they rarely lasted all that long.

A few more strokes of her colored pencils, and suddenly, Jane tossed her sketchbook unceremoniously aside and gave him her full attention. It was quite intense.

"Kurt, I wanted to ask you, how do you like it here? Do you enjoy working at my company?"

Kurt was taken aback by the question. He was expecting a request to stay late to finish up the vests, or to come in early to help set up tomorrow's show for the investors.

"Um, yes, I love it. I've learned so much and it really is a great honor to be able to work with so many amazing people."

"Oh, sweetie, you are such a doll. And how do you like New York? I know it's a big transition from Ohio. How are you handling it?"

Once again, Kurt was surprised by this probing into the state of his personal life. Why was his boss suddenly so interested in his general well-being? Not that he minded, exactly, he just didn't understand why she was troubling herself with such information.

"Well, I miss my family, for sure, but one of my best friends lives here, and she and I keep each other company. Plus, I love being able to go to Broadway shows, even if I am only able to sit in the cheap seats."

"Honestly I'm amazed you find time to go to the theater, given how hard you work here."

Kurt shrugged modestly at this acknowledgment of his work ethic.

"I manage," he replied, smiling.

"I'm glad. I worry that this job is becoming your life." She paused and gave Kurt an uncharacteristically serious look.

"Listen, Kurt. I think you are a smart, interesting, energetic, funny, talented young man. And you seem to spend all your nights here bent over a mannequin. Believe me, I love the commitment, I really do. But one thing I've learned working in this business, is that people who have the potential for greatness rarely reach it when they burn out before the age of twenty-five."

All of a sudden this conversation was feeling much more serious and significant.

"I've worked with a lot of young people in this industry. Many of them smart and talented and good at what they do. But few of them have that… _spark_ ; that touch of genius. Few of them have _true vision_. You are one of the few who do. You have true vision. You have the potential for greatness. A potential you will never reach if you work yourself into the ground before you are old enough to legally drink."

Kurt was looking at his boss and mentor with wide, captivated eyes. He was immensely flattered by the complement she had paid him in calling him a visionary. But he frankly was at a loss as to how to react, given he sensed he was also being asked to scale back his work.

"So I'm going to ask you to try to do two things for me. First, learn how to leave work when it's time. As I said, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your always going above and beyond in these past few months. But you need space in your life for a life, or you'll never be left with enough energy to come into your own. And I really want that for you."

Jane paused and smiled very sincerely at Kurt. And although the request honestly made him feel a little panicked, loaded as it was with high expectations, he forced himself into a smile of genuine gratitude.

"Thank you Jane. I'll try."

"Good. Good. The other thing is really more of a suggestion than an outright request. I want you to start noticing what inspires you, what makes you feel creative, what gives you vision. Everyone has something. For some people it's 90s techno music, for others it's Monet paintings, for others it's black coffee and a blank journal at an obscure little coffee shop. For some people it's sex, for others it's love, for others it's just a really good home-cooked meal. For some people, it's driving in fast cars or jumping out of airplanes. For some it's just a bottle of red wine. Figure out what it is you need to make your art. You have something special in you Kurt, and honestly, I'm dying to see it. I think the rest of the world is too, by the way. Most of them just don't know it yet. Will you promise me?"

Kurt was overwhelmed by this declaration. It was simultaneously immensely flattering, and a great deal of pressure to suddenly be operating under. But he tried his best to take it all in stride, attempting to be merely grateful that Jane felt he had the potential she apparently thought he did.

"I promise."

"Good! Now, here, I have a present for you. A bit of a thank-you for your indispensable work at Fashion Week and a push to help you get started with that whole having a life, finding inspiration thing."

From across her desk Jane held out a stiff folded envelop, with raised gold lettering. Kurt leaned toward her to grasp at the proffered gift only to glimpse the simple elegant logo on the front. His eyes grew wide involuntarily.

"Aphrodisia?" Kurt blurted out in shock as he stared at the voucher in his hand. Aphrodisia was one of New York City's most expensive and exclusive restaurants. Only very rich and/or very influential people ever ate there. And even they often had to wait months for a reservation. How Jane even came by such a thing was a question of no small significance, let alone why she was giving it up to him

Normally Kurt would have just accepted a gift from his boss with good grace, but he felt something this extravagant had to be at least minimally protested.

"Jane, I really can't. How did you even-"

"Oh, don't worry your gorgeous little head. It was a gift from some high up Wall Street investment wanker whose spoiled daughter is looking to get an exclusive design by me for her Sweet Sixteen Party. I told him it was never going to happen, but he insisted. So I'm just passing the generosity along."

"Thank you Jane, this is really amazing. I have no idea what I'm going to wear but…"

"You'll figure it out. Now, the reservation is for eight o'clock this Friday night and it's for two. So bring someone special with you." She paused for the briefest of moments before adding, "Maybe that person you've been texting non-stop for the past two weeks."

In spite of himself, Kurt gave her what he knew was a slightly guilty expression. He had been trying to keep his communiqués with Dave a bit more on the down-low, since he technically should not have been socializing so much during work. But he often could not help it. When Dave's sound-specific text alert rang in his pocket, his need to respond was simply overwhelming. His whole world had come to revolve around that noise. Apparently he had not hidden that fact as well as he would have liked.

"Oh don't be embarrassed sweetie, it's okay. It was nice, actually, to see you stealing time for yourself. I don't think I've seen you smile that much in all the time I've known you."

Kurt could feel his face reddening as he looked away, discomfited. He knew he wasn't being scolded for his text dalliance, which in some ways made him feel even more bashful about the whole thing.

" _That's_ the person you should take on Friday, if you can. Anyone who puts an expression like that on your face is worth every cent Mr. Wanker Banker spent."

Kurt met Jane's eyes and saw the obvious twinkle there. The woman clearly observed a lot more than he had given her credit for previously. She may have been flighty and a bit off the wall at times, but she certainly could see what mattered. Kurt would never underestimate her insight again.

"Thank you, Jane. I will."

His mentor then gave an emphatic, satisfied nod and without any further ado, picked up her sketchbook once more. Kurt knew that was his cue to leave. Rising from the chair he gripped the gift card tight in his hand and waited until he was totally outside Jane's office before anxiously retrieving his phone from his pocket.

He reopened his latest conversation with Dave and began typing a fresh reply when, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a piece of fabric draped across the work table of one of his colleagues. It was a slightly paler than bubble gum pink, embroidered with a delicately subtle cross-hatch diamond pattern made from gold thread. Walking over to it, Kurt ran his hand once over the beautiful cloth and knew almost instantly that it was perfect. He picked up the unused bolt of fabric, which his colleague had left leaning against their work desk and brought it over to his, measuring out a healthy swath of material and making a clean, decisive cut.

Jane had told him to start paying attention to what inspired him, and there was no doubt the idea of seeing David wearing an original Kurt Hummel creation inspired him. Kurt folded up the fabric gently, and placed it in his bag, deciding that the vest he had been working on previously could wait until the morning, that it was time to go home. After all, he had some work of his own to do.


End file.
